


sidekick

by adrianicsea



Category: The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Corvus AU, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff, M/M, or as fluffy as the punisher gets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-21
Updated: 2018-05-21
Packaged: 2019-05-09 16:32:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14719655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/adrianicsea/pseuds/adrianicsea
Summary: Billy heard about Frank's new nickname on the news. He wants in.





	sidekick

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a prelude drabble for an AU of mine, wherein Frank and Billy made it out of Kandahar before things got too bad. Frank did his best to put Billy back together before he hit the point of no return, and after Frank's family is killed, Billy sticks around and tries to do the same. Frank becomes the Punisher, and Billy becomes his sidekick. After all, each of them is all the other has now.
> 
> I haven't written more of this AU yet, but it's something that I've got a lot of fleshed-out thoughts on it, if people are interested in reading more!

"Saw the news tonight. They're callin' you the Punisher now, huh?"

Frank just grunts and rolls over in bed, slow and careful to avoid jarring his arm. He'd done a decent enough job patching it up in the field, and Billy had taken care of it for him when he'd gotten back to the shitty little apartment they were hiding out in. Still, whenever Frank moves his arm too fast, he can still feel the sting where the bullet had grazed his forearm.

"What about it?" Frank asks. He closes his eyes and feels the warmth of Billy curling around his back, and then he feels that wide, dazzling grin against the base of his neck.  _Asshole,_ Frank thinks fondly.

"That makes you a superhero, don't it?"

Frank barks a laugh and reaches back behind him to lightly swat Billy's side.

"Yeah, right. Did you miss the part where they're trying to arrest me?"

Frank feels Billy shrug, his bony shoulders rising up to poke Frank in the back before they slouch down again.

"They gotta find you first."

Billy nuzzles Frank's neck and then presses a kiss to it, right on his spine. The gentleness of the gesture catches Frank off guard, and he slowly rolls himself over again to face Billy.

"You've done too much already, Bill," Frank murmurs. He wraps his good arm around Billy's narrow waist and pulls him closer. "I can't have you gettin' hurt because of me."

"Shut up, Frankie." Billy's voice is muffled, his face pressed as it is into Frank's chest. He pulls away after a second or two to look up at Frank and brings up one slender hand to touch Frank's jaw.

"You know you're stuck wi' me," he says, and his grin fades to the small, genuine smile that's been so rare for so long now. Frank's expression softens, and he leans in to kiss Billy.

"Besides," Billy murmurs against Frank's lips, "every superhero needs a sidekick."

Frank groans and pulls away, but he can't help smiling back down at Billy.

"Oh, sure," he replies. "You wanna wear tights and go fight crime in the big city with me, I don't care. You can even design our costumes, _Blackbird_. _"_

Billy scowls and quickly leans in to nip at Frank's jaw in retaliation.

"You can fuck right off with that Batman and Robin bullshit, Frank. The Punisher and _Blackbird?_ Do I _look_ like a pussy?"

Frank chuckles and shushes Billy, the hold around his waist tightening. Billy quickly settles down in his grasp, but he keeps grumbling as Frank closes his eyes again.

"Get some sleep, Bill," Frank says after a minute or two. His voice is already slower and softer as he approaches sleep. "We'll figure it out tomorrow."

Billy sighs and nods, and then he falls silent too as he cuddles up to Frank's chest. Frank smiles to himself as he feels Billy reaching for his free hand to twine their fingers together, the same way he's done every night for the past year.

"No _way_   I'm stickin' wi' Blackbird," Billy grumbles, and then he's asleep. As sore and exhausted as he is, Frank follows him not long after.


End file.
